Carmella
| birth_place = Worcester, Massachusetts | death_date = | death_place = | resides = | billed = Staten Island, New York | trainer = | debut = September 2013 | retired = }} Leah Van Dale (October 23, 1987) is an American professional wrestler and Model (profession) currently signed to the World Wrestling Entertainment's developmental brand NXT under the ring name Carmella. Early life Leah grew up in a very small town outside of Worcester, Massachusetts. She began dancing at the age of three. After graduating high school, Leah went on to the University of Rhode Island and later transferred to the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth where she graduated with her Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing. While she knew it was important to get an education, she continued her love of performing with the New England Patriots Cheerleaders. Throughout her three-year term with the Patriots she traveled all over the world. Throughout her time with the Patriots, Leah was featured in several world-renown publications to include a National Visa commercial, Muscle and Fitness, Esquire, Maxim and many more. Her charity work was something she always enjoyed. She was fortunate enough to work with so many different charitable organizations and loved giving back to the community. Leah's three-year term with the Patriots was up in early 2010. After graduating in May of the same year she knew she wanted to take her dancing career to another level. There's no better place for an entertainer than Los Angeles. On a whim, she decided to fly out to LA the day before the Back-to-Back Champion Lakers were holding auditions for their dance team. With over 600 girls in attendance, Leah danced her way to the final round. After a few trips back and forth between the east and west coast, she earned a coveted spot as a 2010-2011 Los Angeles Laker Girl. As a rookie, she was the cover girl of the 2011 Laker Girl Calendar. She was featured in numerous commercials, magazines, and game shows throughout her Laker Girl Career. Much like her time with Patriots, she loved working with charities. Fit For Life grew to be her favorite organization to work with. Seeing kids without any sense of healthy living, inspired her to show teach them everything she knew about being healthy and fitt. Leah grew up around the fitness industry, as her father was a semi-professional boxer and WWF wrestler in the 1990s. Professional wrestling career 'World Wrestling Entertainment' (2013-Present) 'NXT' (2014-Present) In June 2013, Leah signed a developmental contract with World Wrestling Entertainment. She was sent to the company's developmental program NXT in late September. On December 16, 2013, she announced her new ring name was Carmella. She made her in-ring debut at a NXT live event in Tampa on June 6, 2014, where she defeated Devin Taylor. On the following day at an NXT live event in Ft. Pierce, Carmella was defeated by Devin Taylor in a rematch. At the July 31 NXT TV tapings, she was defeated by Natalya in a dark match. She made her NXT TV debut on the September 4 episode in a backstage segment with Enzo Amore and Big Kass when they visit her at the salon she works at to get some hair removal cream and Enzo spills in a customers poodle. On the September 18 episode of NXT, she sneaks backstage and tells Enzo and Kass she lost her job at the salon due to them and she wants them to teach her to be a 'fighter'. The next weeks episode, she begins training with their help. Personal life Currently, she is a certified group fitness instructor and personal trainer. Leah is the daughter of Paul Van Dale who worked for WWF/E during the 1990s. In wrestling *'Finishing moves' ** Modified head scissors submission *'Signature moves' **Bodyscissors **Lotus lock **Vertical suplex *'Wrestlers managed' **'Realest Guys' (Enzo Amore & Colin Cassady) *'Tag teams and stables' * Entrance themes ** "Fabulous" by CFO$ (October 16, 2014 - present) * Nicknames **''The Staten Island Princess'' External links * WWE.com Profile * Official Website * Profile *Jett Girl Model Profile Category:American wrestlers Category:Female wrestlers Category:Massachusetts wrestlers Category:Second Generation Wrestlers Category:World Wrestling Entertainment current roster Category:WWE NXT current roster Category:Dancers Category:1987 births Category:Managers and valets Category:2013 debuts Category:Rosebuds Category:Models